1	"Plants annuals"	2
1	"Plants perennial"	4
2	"Inflorescences usually ough, not breaking up at maturity or, if fragile, lemma of central spikelet awned, the awn 4-14 cm long, stout (mostly cultivated taxa)"	"Hordeum vulgare"
2	"Inflorescences fragile, readily breaking up at maturity; lemmas  of central spikelets awned, the awn up to 3 cm long, slender"	3
3	"Glumes of central spikelets long-ciliate"	"Hordeum murinum"
3	"Glumes of central spikelets scabrous"	"Hordeum geniculatum"
4	"Anthers up to 2.4 mm long, usually much shorter; lemma awn of central spikelets usually longer than the body of the lemma"	"Hordeum bogdanii"
4	"Anthers more than 2.5 mm long; lemma awn of central spikelets usually much shorter than the body of the lemma"	"Hordeum brevisubulatum"